Time to Celebrate all things Australian!

JUST a few weeks ago we celebrated New Year's Eve, that time of year when we reflect on the year that's been and make resolutions for the year ahead in our personal lives.
Now we're coming up to Australia Day, a day which is a bit like that for our national life. In between the barbecues and the fireworks, we have a chance to reflect on what we are as a nation.
On Regatta Point in Canberra stands the National Capital Exhibition, a building that honours the story of our nation's capital. Just inside the doors, you'll find these words: "A nation is an act of the imagination and will. In this act we create a place to which we belong. A part of the earth for which we have collective responsibility. A place of memory and tradition."

I think those words are very powerful indeed. They reflect beautifully what it is that we're here to celebrate on Australia Day. They remind us that Australia isn't just a landscape, but rather something that we create together. Each and every one of us will play a part in shaping the Australia of tomorrow, whether you are one of the thousands of people who will take out citizenship this Australia Day, or whether you were born here. Together, we get to imagine and invent the nation of our dreams. It's a pretty high ideal, and one that comes with a great deal of responsibility, both for the land and for each other.

 

Australia has grown over the years into a strong and vibrant community that I for one am very proud to be celebrating on Australia Day.

Our challenge for the years ahead is to continue to build on this grand tradition of Australia - acknowledging both the good times and the bad - and to put our own stamp on the Australia of tomorrow.

 
Adam Gilchrist, chairman of the National Australia Day Council

Christmas already!

I say it every year and I'll say it now... I can't believe it's Christmas again already! Where has the year gone? It's been an eventful year of ups and downs but personally it has been a year of big changes and I'm eagerly looking forward to 2012.

New Year is a time for reassessing your goals and dreams. At the rate at which the years are flying by there is no time to waste procrastinating about that road trip around Australia! If you have a dream to travel Australia, see what's beyond the urban sprawl and reconnect as a family THEN DO IT!

Just remember... Life is too short and money doesn't make you happy. Family, helping others and experiencing all life has to offer is what will bring you satisfaction.

Merry Christmas and Safe Travels

Jacqui x

1000 Great Places to Travel with Kids in Australia

Yes its been a while since my last post! I have been busy selling my house and getting packed up ready to move to the beautiful Margaret River region in WA, just after Christmas. Christmas is a crazy time of year as it is!

Anyway I discovered a new book to share with you...

1000 Great Places to Travel with Kids in Australia by Anna Ciddor, published by Explore Australia

1000 Great Places to Travel with Kids in Australia is family holiday planning made easy! Choose from a feast of kid-friendly attractions, activities, eateries and accommodation options around Australia. Whether your kids are into dinosaurs, circuses, koalas or fairies, you’ll find something here to thrill them, as well as life-saving tips on how to travel with kids. And to ensure your family gets the most out of every experience, a host of fabulous facts and intriguing questions are included to keep the whole family on its toes: ‘What sort of nests do saltwater crocodiles build?’, ‘What noise do pelicans make?’ and ‘Is it true that lorikeets have hair on their tongues?’

Carefully researched, written and illustrated by children’s author and seasoned traveller Anna Ciddor, this book will help you plan your best family holiday ever!

Tragedy in Karijini a sad warning

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Chris Majewski who fell and died at Fortescue Falls this week. He was trying to save his young son who had slipped down an embankment and who remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition. Chris was a well loved primary school principal from a small community and so many people are feeling his loss.

Karijini National Park was the highlight of our trip around Australia - an amazingly magical place. We had left our five year old son with family in Dampier and I remember being grateful we had gone without him as exploring the gorges requires some scary climbs.

This shockingly sad tragedy is a warning to all of those lucky enough to be out exploring our rugged and unforgiving land. Please be bloody careful.

Eco Friendly Travels

As a self-confessed tree hugging greenie I am passionate about ecologically responsible travel, reducing our carbon footprint and preserving our natural environment. Kimberley Kampers in Ballina NSW are leading the way in ensuring we pack in some environmentally friendly habits when we hit the road in their Eco-suite, a caravan that not only reduces fuel emissions but fuel costs as well. It's powered primarily by the sun and it's secondary fuel source is Australian soy bio-diesel and a methanol fuel cell.

The caravan can run its own air-conditioning, cooking equipment and water heating, as well as powering up devices such as laptops, smartphones and iPods. Even the toilets are vacuum designed - like those on an aircraft - so there are no chemicals involved.
Travelling in this green machine means you could be anywhere for months and operate independently of traditional power sources.
Eco-suites leave only half the carbon footprint of a regular set-up and boast about a 35% reduction in fuel costs. Check them out at http://www.kimberleykampers.com/

Australia's Native Wildlife

Taking time to discover and observe native animals is a popular activity for many travellers around Australia. Whether you're visiting the tropical rainforests of the country's north, inland through the vast Outback, or enjoying the spectacular coastal destinations, there is a wealth of native wildlife to discover.

Exploroz have written a brilliant article to give you an overview of the species of Fauna you are likely to encounter in the various regions throughout Australia, and where and how to find them. This article also included a list of National Parks, Wildlife Parks and Sanctuaries - must see destinations for nature enthusiasts.

Every Australian will learn something new about their own native animals.

Read it here

Be a Responsible Traveller not a Tourist Vandal!

In a remote part of the Dampier Archipelago, in the north of WA, an electric drill is used to gouge ugly dents into weathered stone bearing ancient rock art. Across the bay, on a remote bluff, graffiti is painted in massive letters on a rocky outcrop.

Hundreds of kilometres away, along the Gibb River Road, toilet paper flutters in the wind above a buzzing circle of blowflies. Farther south an abandoned campfire smoulders, ready to ignite a wildfire that could burn through the Kimberley for months.

In the Pilbara, imported seeds brought in with firewood on the roof of a four-wheel-drive, are taking hold.

Deep in the forests of the South West poor hygeine by forest users has helped spread phytphthora dieback to more than a millon hectares of the globally significant eco-region.

Ignorance, lax biosecurity and deliberate vandalism are taking their toll on Australia's natural and cultural assets. We are in danger of destroying our burgeoning ecotourism inductry by failing to understand the need to preserve and protect the environmental assets we visit and enjoy.

Don't be Careless or Thoughtless!

• Plan ahead and prepare
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste and rubbish properly
• Leave what you find
• Respect wildlife
• Extinguish campfires
• Bury human waste away from water courses
• Don't walk on ocean reefs, they are fragile and damage easily
• Be considerate of your hosts and other visitors

Leave No Trace is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor travel and recreation through education, research and partnerships. Leave No Trace builds awareness, appreciation and respect for our natural and cultural heritage.
Visit http://www.lnt.org.au and educate yourself!

The first five paragraphs are taken from an article written by Jane Hammond in the Weekend West

Take the Bor out of the Nullarbor!

It's 1200km of some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, incorporating the spectacular Great Australian Bight, rural farmland, magnificent ocean cliffs and the red earth of our outback. As well as beautiful scenery, a trip across the Nullarbor can now also include interesting stories and commentary if you take the time to download the audio tours created by ABC reporters Emma Lee Pedler and Emma Wynne.

The series of 10 audio tours include interviews with locals, tour operators, whale watchers, fellow travellers and history buffs. They are available to download from the ABC website and they are FREE!

abc.net.au/eyre/nullarbor

Thanks for the info RAC

Share Your Adventures with a FREE blog

Whether it's a lazy year around Australia in the Caravan or something more adventurous, you can now Share Your Adventure with your own FREE 'Hand Built' Expedition Website at Expedition Australia.

FREQUENTLY ASKED Caravan Buying Questions

Q: Do I need an off road caravan?
A: Most of Australia can be covered in your family car, including most National Parks. A standard leaf spring suspension will handle corrugations, however an independent suspension will do the job much better and is easier on the caravan. A Simplicity suspension is an excellent all round set up and is a load sharing suspension that handles all road conditions well. Clearance under the caravan is probably more important than choice of suspension.

Q: What type of vehicle do I need to tow with?
A: All vehicle manufacturers have a specified maximum allowable weight that your vehicle can tow. This is given as an "ATM" (Aggregate Trailer Mass) which is the weight of the caravan plus, usually, 400Kgs on a tandem axle and 300Kgs on a single axle of additional load. Many vehicles such as turbo diesels will comfortably tow the recommended ATM but we recommend that you try to keep your load at 85% of the ATM for economy and ease of towing.

Q: Which is best, aluminium or timber (usually Merante) frame?
A: This has always been a contentious issue and every one has their own opinion. Modern methods of construction have overcome the old short comings of aluminium frames and there is little difference between the two although aluminium is lighter. It becomes a question of personal preference.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a full caravan against Pop Tops?
A: Weight, rather than shape, is the decisive factor in how much fuel you will use. Modern caravans are reasonably well designed aerodynamically, so you won't notice a big difference in fuel consumption between the two. Pop Tops are great if you want to store them in a garage or carport, but a full caravan is more convenient as you can stop and open the door and you are set up. A caravan also has full insulation and much more storage compared to the Pop Top that has vinyl, which eliminates quite a bit of overhead cupboard storage space. Again it is a matter of personal preference.